Old Fires, New Flames
by Musical Muggle
Summary: This is the story of 15 year old Margaret Lily Potter, daughter of the famous Harry Potter. When Death Eaters escape Azkaban, The Order is rebuilt, but it cannot protect a young Hogwarts student from being attacked.
1. A Duel With Delani

**This is my first fanfic! (be kind!) I always like to improve my writing, so constructive criticsism is welcome! Enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, he belongs to Miss Rowling, I just own his offspring. _

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A Duel With Delani

Godric's Hollow was a small village with a mere population of 200. It was the perfect place to live if you and your family were being hunted down by Death Eaters who wanted to avenge the most powerful dark wizard of all time.

The residents of number 7, Savanna Place were, at the moment, oblivious to the dark figure lurking near the garden.

The figure glided over to the backdoor, icy darkness creeping behind it like a spilled ink bottle. It sniffed the air hungrily. A dozen more figures loomed out from the woods behind their leader.

A blanket of instant darkness draped thickly over Number 7 as the figures started revolving around the house, their breathing becoming heavier and more desperate.

The sudden drop of temperature woke one of the residents of the house with a start; he knew the feeling of dementors only too well. He quickly turned to his sleeping wife.

"Gin? Ginny wake up!"

She turned over groggily. "Harry? Wha-" But she cut herself off, also feeling the intense cold. "They found us..." she breathed.

The young couple simultaneously grabbed their wands and was on their feet.

"Remember the plan," Harry whispered, holding both her hands in his. Ginny nodded. She was nervous, but also determined.

"I love you." he whispered in her ear.

They heard a crash downstairs.

"Go!" Harry commanded.

Ginny rushed out the door and down the long hallway. Harry went downstairs.

Ginny crept into the nursery, careful not to wake the twins. She went over to the cradle nearest her. The baby girl was awake, though not crying. She stared up at her mother with startlingly green eyes.

"Shh, come here..."

Ginny picked up her daughter and held her in one arm. She moved over to the other cradle

and scooped up her sleeping son. She shifted him so that she could reach her wand, and silently summoned the mirror on that resided on the highest shelf of the nursery.

Ginny held onto her children tightly as she caught the mirror. She felt the familiar jerk somewhere behind her navel and knew that the plan had worked. _But how did they find us? _Ginny thought to herself as they walked into the safety of the burrow.

12 Years Later

Maggie Potter woke suddenly, sweat beading off her face. A shrill noise next to her head had startled her awake. She reached over lazily and hit the ringing clock to shut it up.

Maggie slumped back into her feather pillows, deep in thought.

She had been having that dream almost every night since the major Death Eater outbreak a few weeks ago. Well, she thought, it wasn't really a dream exactly, more of a reflection. She was only two years old at the time though, and only remembered bits and pieces.

Maggie glanced at the now silent clock sitting on the oak bedside table; it read 7:49am. She sighed, got out of bed, and got dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. She was walking out of her room, still pulling her _Weird Sisters_ hoodie over her head, when she walked straight into her twin brother James.

"Ouch! Watch it!" exclaimed James, who had a piece of toast in his mouth.

He was hopping on one foot, trying to put his other sock on. He finally lost his balance and toppled over onto the floor. Maggie held out a hand to her twin.

"What's the hurry?" she giggled.

James looked up at his sister, as if he couldn't quite see her. "What's the hurry?" he said. "Maggie it's nearly ten o'clock! We have to leave in fifteen minutes!"

Maggie stared at James. "No it's not. My clock said it's nearly _eight-_o'clock!"

James sighed. "That's not your clock. That's Uncle Fred and George's trick clock that a certain_ someone_ put in my room the other day."

Maggie (mockingly) thought about it.

"You know," James continued. "the one that has the alarm_ that goes off two hours later than what you set it to!"_

A look of comprehension dawned on Maggie's features.

"Oh God!" she breathed. "I am so in for this time!"

She ran back into her room and started throwing clothes into the only half packed trunk sitting near her bed.

"Hurry up!" Their dad, Harry, yelled up the stairs. "Your mother is in one of her moods!"

She next heard a muffled "I am not!" from the kitchen downstairs.

Maggie looked around her room one more time.

"I think that's everything," she sighed to herself, relieved, then promptly took in a sharp intake of breath. "Wait!" She rummaged in her trunk; it wasn't there.

"Oh spectacular!" Maggie looked franticly around her room.

"Uh, Maggie?"

BANG

"Ouch!" cried Maggie; she had been looking under her desk when James came in.

"Dad's already in the car… Are you looking for something?"

Maggie got up and massaged her head. "No Captain Obvious, I'm just feeding the dust bunnies..._yes I'm looking for something!_" she shouted at James. "Have you seen the Map?"

"Ben has it."

Maggie let out a breath. "Oh yeah," Her eyes widened and she started up again. "But where's the invisabil-"

But James cut her off. "Maggie calm down! Ben and Bailey had them over the summer, remember?"

Maggie blushed. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"JAMES AND MARGARET POTTER! WILL YOU _PLEASE_ HURRY UP!" yelled a shrill voice that was their mother, Ginny.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Harry hissed up the stairs.

When they got to the station and went through Platform 9 ¾, (it took them an additional ten minutes to get through the barrier because the Weasleys got to the station at the same time the Potters did, and Maggie and Austin Weasley had an argument over who would go through the barrier first) they bustled through the throng of students, parents, and multi-colored animals.

James and Maggie started loading their trunks onto the luggage carriage while their parents were catching up with old classmates.

James pulled Maggie's into the carriage, while Maggie was struggling to keep hold of the bottom of it.

"Need a hand?" said a mocking voice behind them.

Maggie dropped her end of the trunk in surprise, and it landed hard on her foot.

"Ow!" she cried. "Merlin Ben, don't scare me like that!"

She glared at the red-headed boy in front of her. He ginned back at her.

"Well _sorrry_." he said sarcastically, and with James' help, they heaved Maggie's trunk into the carriage.

"Thanks Ben, but I could've done it myself." she said with a scowl.

"Just doin' my job…" boasted Ben.

James jumped down from the carriage. "Where's Bailey?" he asked.

Bailey was one of Ben's sisters, was in the third year, and usually clung to Ben like stinksap.

Ben glanced around. "I actually don't know. She was with me a minute ago," He shrugged. "I suppose she went and found us seats."

The train's warning whistle blew overhead, and Harry and Ginny hurried over to them while waving a hurried goodbye to the couple they were talking to.

"Are your trunks loaded?" Harry asked James, who nodded.

"Alright you two, go find a seat," Ginny said as she hugged each of them in turn. "I'll see you at Christmas, you too Ben dear." She smiled warmly at her nephew.

The whistle blew again.

"Go!" Harry persisted.

Ben hurried over to his parents and was promptly crushed into a hug by his bushy-haired mum. Ben's little sister, Marie, who was holding her father's hand, was whining about why she had to wait another two years before she herself could attend Hogwarts.

James and Maggie got into the nearest carriage, then stuck their heads out the window to say goodbye.

"Be careful," their mum said "_and stay out of trouble."_ She added warningly. Harry rolled his eyes.

The train started to move as Ben's mum finally released him, and he quickly hopped onto the train. The four adults and Marie waved as the train started to pick up speed, and disappeared from sight when the train finished rounding the corner.

James, Maggie, and Ben turned to go down the aisles and find an empty compartment. They barely took two steps before they heard footsteps running towards them; it was Bailey Weasley.

"Hey Bailey," Maggie greeted. "Where were-" But she cut herself off when she got a good look at her cousin.

Bailey's clothing was torn in places, and she looked exhausted, as if from running.

"Bailey what happened?" Ben asked anxiously.

"Well," she began. "I've just been attacked by Delani Malfoy."

"But why did she attack you in the first place?"

"James, we've been through this, _I don't know!"_

It was half an hour into the long train to Hogwarts. Bailey just finished recounting her duel with Delani to her brother and two cousins.

"She just jumped out at me from a luggage carriage and pointed a wand at my throat!"

"But you didn't have to duel her!" James reasoned.

"What was she going to do, plead for mercy?" retorted Maggie. "This is _Malfoy_ we're talking about!"

At this, James crossed his arms and gave up the conversation.

The compartment door suddenly flew open, and Austin Weasley stepped in.

"Hey you four just checking in-" he stared at his sister. " Bailey what happened to you?"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "I'm _fine_." she said to him.

"_What happened?"_ he commanded. "If you've been fighting again I'll-"

"Austin, I wasn't –"

"-when mum finds out-"

"Austin, that's not-"

"-you are _so_ getting a howler for this!"

"AUSTIN!" she bellowed.

"What?'

"Look, how about I actually tell you what happened first, before you send mum an owl!"

"Okay."

Bailey filled her brother in on the morning's events.

"Alright," said Austin after his briefing. "I'll be in the prefect's carriage if you need me, and I'll keep a lookout for the Malfoy girl" he left.

"Well, that was productive." Ben said, matter-of-factly.

"Hardly." said James. "We need to find out why Delani attacked Bailey before she has the chance to do it again."

"Oh, I think It's a little late for that." drawled a voice near the door.

It was Delani Malfoy.

**A/N: PLEASE tell me what you think in a review! I really like other people's opinions about my story! **

**Musical Muggle**


	2. Threats and Feasts

Chapter 2: Threats, Feasts, and Porridge-filled Balloons

"What do _you _want?" James asked menacingly.

Delani walked into the compartment. "Only what we deserve, Potter, revenge." She said softly.

Maggie stood up. "Look Malfoy, it's not _our_ fault that your idiot father got himself locked up in Azkaban!" She said angrily.

Delani just laughed. "Temper, Potter." She drawled. "No, actually, that's not the kind of revenge I'm seeking. Your muggle-loving brains are probably too weak to endure the kind of revenge _I_ want."

"Ooh, I'm _so_ scared." said Bailey in a falsely anxious tone.

Malfoy smirked. "You should be, Weasley." She bent down so that she was eye level with Bailey, who was seated. "I'm not done with you…" She said softly. "And you should know something, Potter." She added, turning to Maggie. "They aren't done with your dear father either." And with one last look she stalked swiftly out of the compartment, flanked by her cronies Jeremy Crabb and Fiona Flint.

The teenagers just stared at the door, until Ben broke the silence with-

"If I'm not quite mistaken, I think that was a threat."

The rest of them could only nod.

They soon arrived at the Hogsmeade Station, and students began to disembark from the train. They heard the familiar gruff bellowing of, "Firs' years! Firs' years over 'ere!" from the gigantic form of Hagrid.

"'Ello you four," He said, spotting them.

"Hi Hagrid!" said Bailey, squinting up at the half-giant.

Hagrid looked back down at her. "Blimey Bailey, what've yeh been doin'?" He asked, eyeing Bailey's ragged attire beneath her robes.

"I'll tell you later." She whispered to him before they were swept away in the sea of bustling students. They could hear prefects, Austin among them, trying, and failing dismally, to bring order to the jumble of students, most of which weren't really paying any attention to them.

At last they reached the seemingly horseless carriages (the foursome knew better) and all climbed into the nearest one that wasn't full. There was only one person inside; the girl in question had messy blonde hair knotted in braids on either side of her head, and had a round, cheery face that greeted them when they stepped inside the musty carriage.

"Hi Maggie, James… Bailey? I thought you were in the hospital wing with Tentaculitis?" She said matter-of-factly.

"Tentacuwhata?"

"Tentaculitis. It's a disease where tentacles grow out of your forehead, but if it's really bad they-"

"I don't have Tentaculitis, Alice!" Bailey exclaimed as she sat down on the seat opposite Ben. "Who told you that?"

"Well, Samantha Thomas heard it from Liam Davies who told Natalee McLaggen who told me." She said it all very fast.

Bailey sighed. "Great," She said. "There already rumors floating around about me, and we haven't even reached the castle yet!"

The carriages trotted along the well worn path up to the castle, where they disembarked in front of the huge oak front doors and went inside. They crossed the flagged stone floor and veered right, toward the double doors leading to the Great Hall, but stopped abruptly when a bright red balloon, supposedly filled with porridge, crashed at James feet.

"PEEVES!"

Austin Weasley came running toward them. "I command you to stop that at once!"

Maggie snorted. Peeves also laughed, (though it was more of an evil cackle) and threw one of his porridge-filled balloons at Austin's head. The balloon burst and porridge flew everywhere.

Ben and Bailey were rolling on the floor laughing, while Maggie, desperately trying to contain her own laughter, took hold of the situation. James and Alice merely watched from the sidelines.

"Peeves, if you don't stop this, do you know who I'm going to tell?" Maggie asked calmly.

"Ooo, who's Potty gonna tell?" Peeves asked in a sickly-innocent voice.

"My uncles, Fred and George," She said simply. "And I don't think they will be too pleased when they find out that you've been porridge-ballooning one of their nephews."

Peeves stopped cackling. He fidgeted with his polka dot tie for a second, then blew a very wet raspberry and zoomed off, dropping the remainder of balloons at the feet of a very bewildered second year boy.

Austin siphoned the porridge off his face and robes, gave an embarrassed thanks to Maggie, and went into the Great Hall. Ben was still banging his fists on the floor.

"That –" Ben gasped. "- Was – Wicked!" He looked up at Maggie. "Why did you have to go and tell Peeves off, eh?"

Maggie rolled her eyes at him as she helped Bailey to her feet.

They entered the Great Hall to find it already almost completely filled with people. They went and sat down at the Gryffindor table next to their cousins; Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's sixteen year old daughter Andrea, Uncle Fred and Aunt Angelina's thirteen year old identical twin sons Matt and Tony, and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione's other daughter, Amy, who was fifteen. Uncle George and Aunt Alicia's eleven year old daughter Samantha and Uncle Charlie and Aunt Ruby's eleven year old daughter Lola were in line with the other first years waiting to be sorted.

"Bailey, are you okay?" Amy asked, her beautiful features formed into a look of concern. "There's a rumor going around that you were in the Hospital Wing –"

"I DO NOT HAVE TENTACULITIS!" Bailey shouted, a little louder than she would have liked.

People around the Great Hall sniggered at the shouting Gryffindor, but stopped abruptly when Professor Flitwick clambered up to the middle of the Hall, carrying the three-legged stool used for the sorting. Professor Tonks was right behind him holding the sorting-hat. She carefully placed the crumpled hat onto the stool, and a small slit near the brim of the hat opened and it started to sing;

I welcome the first years of this new era!  
I am but an old hat with no flair for drama.  
I tell a tale from the past to the present,   
From the Founders to their followers of current.

One school, four houses for the four founders,  
Four ideals, also four distinct cultures.  
On their own, they think themselves strong.   
The dark times have proven this to be wrong.

Sweet words and false promises were the Dark Lord's tools,  
Armed with wisdom, Rowena's people cannot be fooled.  
To those tempted, knowledge they taught,  
To the Dark Lord, new followers come naught.

Whilst the enemy and his minions wrecks homes and hope,  
Helga's workers assist and help the broken - to cope.   
Showed that every single soul could help the sick get well,   
One's effort no matter how small, could tip the scale. 

Godric's soldiers stood in front of the battle line,  
They refused to face this darkness by the sideline.  
Many a-battle were fought and won,  
Many a-hero's light, shone and was gone. 

Cunning Salazar's followers were the least suspect,  
Their entry to the enemy's rank was left unchecked.  
For the longest time, their efforts received no thanks,  
Secretly sabotaged the enemy within its own flanks.

To the return of the light, each had played their part,  
Separate yet in harmony, like the wheels of a cart.  
Because of the four houses, the balance had returned.   
The peace we now share was rightfully earned.

I will sort each student to the house that fits them best,  
Enjoy your house, but remain open to the rest.  
Together, the four houses will always be strong.  
In dark times as well as the light, remember my song.

The Hall burst into applause. Professor Tonks started reading names off a scroll of parchment.

"Adams, Olivia."

The nervous looking first year stumbled up to the stool and put on the hat, which fell over her eyes. There was a pause, and then the hat bellowed-

"RAVENCLAW!"

The relieved girl hurried over to her assigned table.

"Allendorf, Gabriel."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

'Dalton, Kaleb' became the first Gryffindor, and 'Ferris, Paula' became the first Slytherin. Malfoy gave them a look when Paula sat down at there table. The look she gave them said quite plainly; _our numbers are growing Potter, and there's not a thing you can do about it._ Maggie looked away quickly.

The sorting continued, until at last "Weasley, Lola" was called.

Lola nervously walked up to the stool, brushing her dark red hair out of her eyes as she approached the hat. She barely sat there for three seconds when the hat bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!"

She happily took a seat next to Bailey then shot Sam a 'thumbs up' just as Professor Tonks called "Weasley, Samantha."

Sure enough, it only took a couple seconds before the hat cried "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sam hurried over to their table and took a seat next to Lola.

At last, 'Zachary, Rebecca" was made a Ravenclaw, and Professor Tonks rolled up the list of names and took the stool away.

A loud buzzing of conversation broke out, and Professor McGonagall had to clap her hands several times to make herself heard.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said. "And for those of you who are old hands, welcome back." She smiled down at them all. "I am fully aware that you cannot possibly pay attention to an old woman's drabble while there is a feast to be had. And so, I will momentarily cut my speech short; tuck in." She announced.

Every food imaginable instantly appeared on the gold platters in front of them; Ben piled his plate with everything in reach. The conversations changed rapidly, from everything from family to Quidditch, until everyone was so full and tired people didn't talk much anymore.

Professor McGonagall stood up and clapped her hands for silence once more.

"Now that everyone has had their fill, I have a few announcements to make." She glanced around the Hall to make sure that everyone was listening. To her dismay however, Delani had chosen not to listen to the Headmistress's speech, and was chatting with Fiona Flint. Professor McGonagall chose to ignore her.

"First of all, it has been brought to my attention by Mr. Filch, that seven new products of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes have been banned. If you would like to consult Mr. Filch's list of banned items, it is located outside his office on the ground floor." She added. "Also as a reminder no student, under any circumstance, may enter the Black Forest, and that some of our returning students should know better." She gave the briefest glance in the direction of the Gryffindor table.

"On a different note, I would like to remind you all that this year is the 20th anniversary of Lord Voldemort's downfall, and as a tribute to all that are no longer with us, Hogwarts will be hosting a Masquerade Ball on New Year's Eve." An excited buzz of talk erupted around the Hall. "However," Professor McGonagall continued. "The Ball will only be open to students thirteen and above; therefore older students will be allowed to return from their Christmas holidays early to attend the Ball. But right now it is late, and I am sure you all want to be rested up and on time for your first classes. Hop to it!" She dismissed them.

A loud babble of talk broke out once again; girls were chatting animatedly to each other about what they would wear on New Year's Eve, and boys were conversing in low voices about who they were thinking about asking to the Ball. The conversations continued late into the night, and as Maggie pulled the hangings around her bed shut, cast a Silencing Charm on them, and slumped down into her blankets she thought to herself; maybe this would be a more eventful year than she had thought.


	3. Confrontation

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while! (Yeah, I know school shouldn't be a valid excuse, but...) Sooooo, I'm giving you 2 for the price of 1! Tada! 2 WHOLE CHAPPIES!!! CAN I GET A "WOOT WOOT"!!!!!!!!!!!!**

Maggie went down to the common room early the next morning to find James and their good friend Kenny Thomas conversing in low voices in the corner of the room. Maggie walked quietly over to them, trying to hear snippets of their apparently in-depth conversation.

"- just do it-" she heard James say.

"- so much for you being the over-protect-" Scott turned around sharply.

"Hi." Maggie greeted a little over-pleasantly.

"Oh-uh-hi!" he stammered.

"Whatcha doin'?" Maggie asked innocently, while rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Um… nothing."

"Oh, okay." said Maggie, sarcastically. "Why don't we all go down to breakfast." she said, again, a little too sugar-coated.

The boys glanced at each other, then nodded.

When they reached the Great Hall, they found that only a handful of students decided to get up this early in the morning. They sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Amy, who had her head resting on the table next to her toast.

"Hi Amy!" Kenny shouted. She jerked her head up and looked wildly around. Maggie noticed that she had dark circles around her eyes. "Oh, hi…" she said when she saw who made the noise. She set her head back down on the table.

"Are you okay?" asked James

"My idiot roommates didn't stop talking about the New Year's Ball until 2:00am." Amy mumbled through the table.

Maggie sniggered. "Neither did mine, but at least I had the sense to put a Silencing Charm on my curtains."

Amy paused, then repeatedly slammed her head into the table.

"I – am – such – an – idiot!" she moaned between head-bangings.

Bailey entered the Great Hall with Alice Longbottom, and wandered over to where the others were sitting.

"M-Morning…" Bailey yawned.

"Where's Ben?" Alice asked.

"He was still asleep when we left." Kenny said, gesturing to himself and James.

"'Figures."

Ben didn't show up for another twenty minutes. He sat down next to James, just as Professor Tonks was handing out the schedules.

"Ahh, no, we've got the Slytherins for Defence after breakfast," Maggie groaned. Bailey sighed when she checked her own schedule. "And I have them next for Herbology," she looked at Maggie. "I swear they're doing this on purpose…"

After breakfast, Maggie, Ben, James, and Kenny headed up to Defense Against the Dark Arts, while Bailey and Alice met up with their cousins Matt and Tony and went down to the greenhouses for Herbology.

When Maggie and the others reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom they were slightly early. They waited outside as the other students started to arrive, including Delani.

"You had better pay attention in this particular class, Potter," she whispered to Maggie with a smirk.

"You know what I think, Malfoy," Maggie whispered back. "I think you're full of yourself. This is just an act to get Bailey, Ben, and me worried so that you'll have the upper hand for the first Quidditch match,"

At that moment, Professor Tonks stepped out of the classroom and ushered the queue of students inside.

"Tell it to the Azkaban breakouts," Delani whispered back before walking swiftly into the classroom.

James and Kenny took seats near the the front of the room, with Maggie and Ben sitting right behind them. Delani and the other Slytherins took their usual seats right at the back. Professor Tonks cleared her throat for silence.

"Welcome back to Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said cheerily, smiling around at them all. The students were smiling back, but it might only have been because her hair color of choice today happened to be Turquoise.

"Today we'll just review what we did last year, which was defensive magic, and tomorrow we'll start on offensive magic. Now if you'll take out your books-" There was a groan from the class. "-for the first, and last time of this semester!" There were a many cheers at this, and they all happily took out their text books.

An hour later the bell rang, and everyone hurried towards the door, but Maggie stayed behind to talk to Professor Tonks.

"Um-Professor?"

Professor Tonks looked over her shoulder as she was cleaning the blackboard. "Watcher' Maggie," she put the eraser down. "What is it?"

"Uh, you heard about what happened to Bailey, right?" Maggie began hesitantly.

"Yeah, your dad told me. I've been watching little Miss Malfoy ever since," Tonks said with scowl.

"Well, I don't think that it's only Malfoy,"

"You don't think 'what's' only Malfoy?"

"I don't think that it's only Malfoy that's a threat,"

Tonks half laughed. "Well, I think you're right about that, but unless you're talking about Death Eaters here-"

"Which I am,"

"Maggie," Professor Tonks sighed. "Your dad told me to make sure that you didn't go getting yourself involved in-"

"He thinks I'm meddling does he?"

"Well, he did say something along those lines…" Professor Tonks checked her watch and sighed again. "Look, Maggie, if you really want to discuss this, stop by my office after dinner, but if you don't hurry up you're going to be late for class,"

Maggie nodded, then reluctantly swung her book bag over her shoulder and hurried out of the classroom, towards the third floor for Charms.

After an entertaining Charms lesson, the teenagers left for the Great Hall in high spirits, except for Ben, who couldn't manage to turn his butterbeer bottle into an ornate wine glass, unlike James, who had achieved it on his second try, to Ben's great annoyance.

One they reached the Great Hall, they sat down next to Bailey, who was fighting animatedly with Matt and Tony, while Alice watched from the sidelines as if the argument was nothing more than a Muggle tennis match.

"Will you two shut up!" Bailey exclaimed, as the twins made over-dramatic kissing faces.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked, as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hold back her own giggles

Bailey eyed the twins, but said nothing. Alice decided to answer. "Well, in Herbology, Bailey and I were teamed up to dissect this puffapod, and Garret Finnigan came over to us and asked if he could borrow Bailey's extra pair of gloves," she said. "but as he was walking away, he turned around and asked Bailey to the Ball!"

"Someone asked you already? Did you say yes?" Maggie asked Bailey eagerly.

Bailey shrunk down under the table, closed her eyes, and reluctantly nodded.

Matt and Tony promptly broke into song. "_Bailey and Garret, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I_ –"

"Oh, shut up!" Bailey groaned from under the table.

After an afternoon's worth of classes, Maggie, Ben, James, and Kenny headed up to the castle after their last class, Care of Magical Creatures.

"I don't know WHAT Hagrid was thinking, bringing in those, _things._" Maggie said.

"Yeah, Ben, didn't your Mum try to talk him out of it?" James asked.

"Well, she did _try,_ but she said he wouldn't budge!" Ben said. "Mum told me that the Skrewts weren't all that bad, but dad said that if Hagrid was going to teach us about Skrewts, Dad would pull me out of his class. After dad had said that, though, Mum had hit him and told him not to go putting thoughts of dropping a class into my head."

The others laughed as they entered the Great Hall, and sat down for dinner.

Amy had apparently been asked to the Ball that afternoon. "What is with you people, the Ball isn't even until December!" Maggie exclaimed when hearing this.

After a hurried dinner, Maggie got up and announced that she had to go see Professor Tonks in her office.

"Why?" asked Ben through a mouthful of treacle tart.

"Um, just to ask her a question about the lesson," Maggie answered, and hurried off to the Professor's office before any more questions arose.

Maggie hurried up to the second floor, and knocked twice on Professor Tonks' office door. Maggie heard voices coming from within the office. After a minute or so, the door swung open to reveal a smiling Professor Tonks.

"Maggie, come in," she said.

Maggie stepped into the colorful office and realized who the other voice inside the room was; her father was sitting on the edge of the Professor's desk, looking a bit sterner than Maggie would have liked to see him.

**A/N: Why don't you people review?!?!?!?! My "stats" page says 132 hits, 2 reviews, one of them from my cough BLONDE cough friend, imajesusfreak110, who, if you haven't seen her profile, I would probably throw a volleyball at and call it an accident (a very convincing accident) if she DIDN'T review! So, to wrap up that extremly LONG run-on sentence... PLEASE REVIEW!!! **


	4. Permission to Snoop

**A/N: Mwahahaha!!!!!!!!!! Told ya I'de give you a 4th chappie!!!!**

**Chapter 4: Permission to Snoop**

"Oh… Um, hi, Dad!" Maggie quickly recovered. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here," he said, "because Professor Tonks has informed me that you have been investigating on the attack on Bailey." Harry looked pointedly at his daughter. "Is that true?"

Maggie looked down at her shoes. "Yes," she mumbled.

Harry paused before speaking again. "Maggie," he sighed, "I know what it's like, to want to help out in a situation that involves loved ones. You do get the 'acting the hero' gene from me, but I don't want you to go getting yourself involved in any potentially dangerous situations."

"Dad, this involves everyone!" Maggie argued. "And you didn't hear what Malfoy said on the train!"

"What did she say?" her father asked sharply.

"Well, she basically threatened the entire Potter/Weasley family."

"But she could've just been trying to get a rise out of you," Tonks pointed out.

Maggie looked her father straight in the eye. "Dad, she said 'They aren't done with you.'"

Harry sighed deeply and kneaded his forehead. "I knew it," he said under his breath. He turned to Tonks. "I need you to address the situation to the staff," he said, sliding off the desk. "I'm going to notify the Order." Harry turned to his daughter and sighed. "I don't approve of you getting yourself involved in something like this," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder, "but, if you feel it absolutely necessary to look out for your friends, I won't stand in your way,"

Maggie's face suddenly lit up. "But under three conditions," he said, "The first being that if you hear or see anything suspicious, tell Tonk-er- _Professor_ Tonks right away. The second condition is that I need you to be careful. You need to abide by the school rules, and yes, that also means your curfew. As for the third condition… don't tell your mother." He grimaced at the thought of Ginny finding out that he had given their daughter clearance to meddle in a potential Death Eater problem.

Harry glanced at his watch. "The Order meeting should be starting in a minute," he said.

He gave Maggie a quick peck on the forehead, and grabbed the small pot of Floo Powder. "I'll meet you there," he added, nodding in Tonks's direction. He grabbed a handful of the glimmering dust, and threw it into the fireplace. The crackling flames suddenly turned emerald green as he stepped into them and enunciated "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place." Then he vanished.

Maggie headed up to Gryffindor Tower feeling slightly elated. When she reached the common room, she found her friends situated near the fireplace. James was curled up in one of the squashy armchairs, reading a book. Meanwhile, Ben watched as Kenny and Bailey played an intense game of wizard chess.

"Hi, Maggie," James greeted, as Maggie sat down in the armchair next to his. "Did Tonks clear up your problem with the lesson?"

"Actually, I didn't have a question about the lesson," Maggie confessed.

"Than what was it about?" Ben asked as one of Kenny's pawns was violently decapitated by Bailey's queen.

"I just wanted to let her know about the Delani problem," she answered.

"Did she give you a hard time?" James asked.

"No, Dad did."

"What? Dad was here?"

"Yep, and he told me off for meddling," Maggie sighed. She didn't want to discuss the fact that her father had actually given her permission to snoop just yet.

"Yep, that sounds like Dad."

They went the rest of the night without discussing 'the Delani problem'. Ben and Maggie took over the chess board after Bailey made a spectacular checkmate, where Bailey's knight reared up and knocked Kenny's king out cold.

At breakfast the next morning, Toby Wood made the announcement that Quidditch tryouts will be held the following Saturday at ten-o'clock that morning. Although he had assured Maggie, Bailey, and Ben that they all would return as Seeker and both Beaters, they insisted that they didn't want to receive any special treatment, and wanted to try out like everyone else.

After breakfast, Maggie, James, Ben, and Kenny headed up to the first floor for History of Magic, where, thankfully, there were no Slytherins. However, about fifteen minutes into the extremely boring class, Maggie found herself wishing that the Slytherins _were_ their classmates in this particular class, merely for the sheer entertainment, rather than the ever-attentive Hufflepuffs.

However, she regretted this almost immediately when they reached the dingy, underground corridor, to find the Slytherins huddled together in deep conversation outside the classroom door. The foursome crept toward them, trying to hear what they were saying.

"…just to get attention…"

"…I wouldn't put it past a Weasley. They need all the attention they can get…"

"Oi!" Ben shouted at the mention of his surname. The huddled Slytherins hushed when they saw who had made the noise.

"Oh, it's _you, _Weasley," Fiona simpered.

Delani smirked at the looks on the confused Gryffindor's faces.

"So, your dear little sister decided to pull a publicity stunt, did she?" Delani asked.

"What are talking about, Malfoy?" Maggie demanded.

"Don't you read _The Prophet_?"

"Of course I don't. It's a load of rubbish!" exclaimed Maggie. "What has this got to do with one of Ben's sisters?"

Delani smirked again. "Ask Bailey," she said innocently. "She's the one who got herself on page six." And she walked into the classroom as Professor Slughorn opened the door.

The bewildered fourth year Gryffindors followed the rest of the class into the torch-lit classroom.

Although the classroom was dingy and windowless, it was a considerable improvement to what their parent's old classroom had been like. The previous teacher, and Head of Slytherin, Severus Snape, had decorated his classroom with jars of multicolored potions, with morbid objects floating inside them. He favored the students of his own House, while he treated all other students with unfair malice. Snape had later been discovered a traitor, and fled the castle, after murdering the Hogwarts' former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

However, while the current teacher, Horace Slughorn, was an overall improvement, he tended to favor certain students.

"Margaret! James!" Slughorn exclaimed as they walked into the classroom. "Simply splendid to see you both! Do tell me, how were your summers?"

Maggie sighed inwardly. "Very well, thank you, sir," she replied. James nodded in agreement.

"Good, good. Although it doesn't look like your cousin is getting off to a very good school year."

"Oh, she's okay, just a bit shook up," said James.

"Yes, well, it is a shame Miss Weasley didn't see her attacker,"

"What do you mean? She saw-"

An eruption of laughter from across the room interrupted James finishing his sentence. It was the Slytherins. Again. They were all examining what looked like an article from the _Daily Prophet_.

"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone." said Slughorn, walking up to the front of the classroom. "Today we'll be attempting the Draught of Everlasting Optimism. If you will open your books to page forty seven…"

But Maggie tuned Slughorn out. As she sat down at a table near where the Slytherins were located, Maggie caught a glimpse of the article's title-

'**HOGWARTS STUDENT ATTACKED AT KING'S CROSS…'** By Rita Skeeter, official _Daily Prophet _reporter.

**A/N: cough REVIEW!!!! cough No, seriously, I really want to know what you guys think, so please review! It's not hard, just press that shiny button at the bottom of your screen...**

**Musical M**


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